September 1840

1840

Labour shortages were an issue in mid-19th century Australia, particularly in rural areas. Importing Chinese workers was much discussed as a solution to the problem. The first 12 Chinese labourers arrived in Adelaide from Singapore in June 1847 to work as indentured herdsmen and shepherds. Others soon followed in Western Australia and the eastern colonies. More

The first Australian meat canning works were opened in Sydney by Sizar Elliot. Others soon followed and canned meat became a significant export to Britain. Canning plants were established around Australia, initially canning beef and mutton. By the 1870s, however, many plants were primarily canning rabbit as the introduced animals began to over-run farming areas. More

The company responsible for Australia’s most famous wine, Penfolds Grange, was established at Magill Estate in the Adelaide Hills in 1844. Founded by Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary, its first vineyard was known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead ‘The Grange’. Mary Penfold managed the estate and early winemaking, becoming Australia’s first female wine-maker of note.

John Ridley migrated from England to South Australia in 1840. He became a miller and wheat farmer and in 1843 developed a harvesting machine that reaped and threshed grain. In seven days it was able to reap and thresh more than 70 acres, stripping the grain from the stalks. The South Australian Agricultural and Horticultural Society recognised his achievement and awarded Ridley a prize of ten pounds and ten shillings. More

The first German Lutheran settlers arrived in the Barossa Valley in 1842, settling at Bethany. German language, culture and cuisine were preserved in the area, where some towns had as many as 25 German speaking inhabitants to every one English-speaking person. Barossa Food retains many of its German roots. German immigrants were important in the establishment of the wine industry, with names like Gramps, Seppelts and Henschke still familiar today. More

Although there are claims that golden syrup was invented by the British company Abram Lyle & Sons in 1885, in fact the earliest known mention was in the South Australian Register in 1840. It seems likely that the product being offered for sale by J & T Waterhouse of Rundle Street was imported from either America or the West Indies. Golden syrup, later known as “cocky’s joy” became a staple part of the bushman’s rations. More

William Francis King, dubbed the “Flying Pieman”, progressed from barman at Sydney’s Hope & Anchor to making and selling meat pies. He plied his trade around Hyde Park and Circular Quay. King became famous for his extreme feats of “pedestrianism” – walking long distances in amazingly short times. More

Many of the well-known names in the South Australian wine industry established their first vineyards in the late 1930s and 1840s. John Reynell planted vines in McLaren Vale in 1839, Penfold’s Magill vineyard was established on the outskirts of Adelaide in 1844 and the Barossa’s Jacob’s Creek vineyard was planted by Johann Gramp in 1847. >The Wine Industry of Australia 1788-1979More

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The book based on this timeline can be ordered through your bookstore or from the usual online stores. It’s a nostalgic look at our food history from mutton to MasterChef. More details here.

And you can still buy my personal account of how Australian food has changed in the baby-boomers’ lifetime. It’s the story of a generation that can remember life before pizza, with a look at the ‘Mad Men’ era of Australian advertising. Buy it now.